Come see the Hall's NEW look

 

Dramatic look is result of modernization project

 

NEW GALLERIES IN PHOTOS (click on image to launch photo gallery)
Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery	Pro Football Today Gallery
Artifacts featured in new galleries	Behind the scenes. A look at the renovation.

Invited guests and the general public visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Friday watched as the Hall of Fame’s newest galleries, Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery and the Pro Football Today Gallery were officially opened.

 

Participants in the ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place at 3:00 p.m. included Hall of Fame Board of Trustee Chairman Ron Dougherty; Hall of Fame President/Executive Director Steve Perry; Hall of Fame Vice President Communications/Exhibits Joe Horrigan; Gary Gertzog, a Senior Vice President of the National Football League; and representing the members of the Hall of Fame was Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame receiver Dante Lavelli.

The opening of the Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery and the Pro Football Today Gallery marked the completion of a $3.6 million modernization project that was more than two years in the making.

“The technology implemented in the Hall’s new galleries really brings the excitement of the NFL to the fans of every team and age,” stated Gary Gertzog, a Senior Vice President of the National Football League.

The project was designed and managed by Callan McMahon Design and Development (CMDD) of White Plains, NY. The construction of the new galleries, which were converted from previous exhibition space, resulted in the integration of the newest technologies of video, audio, and lighting to bring the treasured artifacts from the Hall’s collection to life.

Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery features some of the Hall’s most valuable artifacts. All of the items on exhibit highlight the careers of the Hall’s members. The design of the gallery implements dramatic lighting on the items of memorabilia. Interactive units give visitors the chance to allow the artifacts to function as windows to compelling stories about the Hall of Famer. Video and audio created by NFL Films, that include recordings of the featured Hall of Famers, enhance the experience.

 

“The Pro Football Hall of Fame has always been the nation’s leading sports museum. Our design goal for the new galleries was to raise that bar a bit higher.  I think we produced spaces that are both dramatic and elegant, and we created an experience that engages visitors through theatrical stage settings and interactive audiovisuals built around unique and priceless football artifacts in a way that has never been done before. We didn’t just raise the bar, we set a new standard of quality against which all sports halls of fame now will be measured." - Mike Callan, President, CMDD

“This will give our guests a more dynamic, vibrant and sensory connection to the Hall of Famer and the displayed memento that had a special significance or represents a great moment and memory from his career,” commented the Hall’s President/Executive Director Steve Perry.

 

Three main exhibits in the new gallery are grouped by specific artifacts – shoes, helmets and footballs – from historic moments provided by Hall of Famers such as Lanier, Lavelli, Art Shell, Bronko Nagurski, Gene Hickerson, Earl Campbell, Jack Lambert, Eric Dickerson, Troy Aikman, Roger Wehrli, Jan Stenerud and Harry Carson.

Seven other display units flank the back of the gallery and chronicle a variety of stories ranging from the famous “Million Dollar Backfield” of the San Francisco 49ers to the pass-catching prowess of AFL receivers Lance Alworth and Don Maynard.

Anchoring the center of the gallery is a dramatic presentation focusing on the contributions of ten Hall of Famers like Jim Thorpe, Bill Dudley, Paul Brown and Harold “Red” Grange. The stories of these legends are told by using sophisticated technology that integrates lighting on the artifacts that correspond with video on a large screen. Mementos used in this exhibit include the Lambeau Field bench from Vince Lombardi’s last game in Green Bay, the MVP Trophy won by Norm Van Brocklin in 1960, and the trophy awarded to the New York Giants following their victory in the 1934 NFL Championship Game.

Six additional Hall of Famers–Larry Wilson, Jim Kelly, Terry Bradshaw, Sam Huff, Otto Graham and John Elway–are featured in special locker displays. Audio recordings, which are triggered by a guest’s motion, convey the accomplishments of these football heroes.

The Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery climaxes with a dramatic bench scene featuring nine iconic members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The stories of Johnny Unitas, Don Hutson, Sammy Baugh, Reggie White, Walter Payton, Joe Greene, Jim Brown, Anthony Muñoz and George Halas are displayed through life-sized figures clad with authentic mementos from the Hall’s collection. The careers of these Hall of Famers are summarized through touch-screen video presentations.

The Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery is the second phase of a project that resulted in a new Hall of Fame Gallery that opened in 2003. The newest gallery now complements the display of bronze busts and interactive kiosks that greet visitors to the Hall of Fame Gallery.

A world-class state-of-the-art audio presentation of sounds from NFL games leads visitors from the Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery into the second new gallery of this expansive project.

Using a modern exhibit technique integrating high-impact video and super graphics, the Pro Football Today Gallery emphasizes the contemporary game. Four main exhibits in the gallery include NFL Goes Global, The Pro Bowl, Rookie Record, and Career Records.

In the back of the gallery, a mini-theater devoted to the NFL’s most recent season presents NFL’s Films' bone-chilling presentation of the 2007 NFL Season using the highest quality video and sound equipment. Blanketing the mini-theater are exhibit cases that include mementos from history-making moments in the ’07 season from such current NFL stars as Tony Gonzalez, Brandon Jacobs, Bob Sanders, Rob Bironas, Antonio Cromartie and others. Outside the theater are three large displays that house the complete uniforms of the NFL’s recent Most Valuable Players – Tom Brady (2007), LaDainian Tomlinson (2006), and Shaun Alexander (2005).

Another exhibit, the Mementos of the Modern Era, is home to other artifacts from recent seasons and features such players as Peyton Manning, Jamal Lewis, Tiki Barber, Ed Reed, and Terrell Owens. Also featured in the Pro Football Today Gallery is a display that pays tribute to one of the NFL’s most coveted records – the career rushing leader. A figure of Emmitt Smith crashing through the career marks of his predecessors who owned the record, Walter Payton and Jim Brown, is emphasized by floor-to-ceiling graphics of the three legendary runners.

The Pro Football Today Gallery also provides space for the Hall’s new traveling exhibitions that will debut at the Pro Football Hall of Fame before embarking on a nationwide tour of other cultural institutions. The first of several planned exhibits, Pro Football and the American Spirit: The NFL and the U.S. Armed Forces, also opened Friday.

The completion of the Moments, Memories & Mementos Gallery and the Pro Football Today Gallery represents the most exciting modernization project in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 45-year history.

COMMENTS ABOUT THE HALL'S NEW LOOK

"This modernization project is one of the most significant in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 45-year history and our guests will experience a new standard of excellence.” – Steve Perry, President/Executive Director, Pro Football Hall of Fame “Staring at Paul Brown’s hat and those play sheets then seeing the video of him instantly took me back in time. I feel so privileged to have played this game especially for a man like Paul.” – Dante Lavelli, Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1975 “These new galleries convey the best of what the National Football League is all about. From the accomplishments of the game’s greatest to the history being made by the stars of today, this new look at the Hall of Fame captures it all.” – Gary Gertzog, Senior Vice President, National Football League “With the help of some of the industry’s best talents, we’ve accomplished what we set out to do. And, that was to successfully convey the excitement that pro football offers. By integrating sound, video, lighting, and artistic impression, the Hall’s new galleries truly allow the visitor to absorb the greatness of the sport.” – Joe Horrigan, Vice President – Communications/Exhibits

SAMPLING OF ARTIFACTS ON EXHIBIT IN HALL’S NEW GALLERIES

Complete Super Bowl XLII uniform of 2007 NFL MVP Tom Brady.
Uniform worn in 2007 by Bob Sanders, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Shoes worn by Dallas Cowboys RB Tony Dorsett on his record 99-yard run on January 3, 1983.
The football returned and the gloves worn by San Diego Chargers’ Antonio Cromartie on his record 109-yard return of a missed field goal on Nov. 4, 2007, the longest touchdown in NFL history.
The shirt worn by Don Shula when he earned his 325th career coaching victory to become the NFL’s all-time winningest coach.
The football kicked by Oakland Raiders QB/K George Blanda when he became the first player to score 2,000 points in a career.
The football thrown by Denver Broncos QB John Elway when he reached the 50,000-yard passing mark.
The interoffice phone used by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle.
The 1922 Canton Bulldogs helmet worn by Hall of Famer Wilbur “Pete” Henry.
George Halas’ coaching stool, one of a few remaining artifacts from the famous 1940 NFL Championship Game.
The jersey worn by Detroit Lions RB Barry Sanders when he became the third player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.
The football thrown by Miami Dolphins QB Dan Marino for his then-record 48th touchdown in 1984.
The complete uniform worn by Chicago Bears RB Walter Payton on Oct. 7, 1984 when he broke Jim Brown’s record to become the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.
The uniform worn by Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre on Dec. 16, 2007 when he became the NFL’s career leader in passing yards.
Jim Thorpe’s 1912 Olympic blazer.
The Pro Bowl jersey of Kansas City Chiefs guard Will Shields, a veteran of 12 Pro Bowls.
The jersey worn by New York Giants Osi Umenyiora during the Giants-Dolphins’ game in London on Oct. 28, 2007, the first regular season game played overseas, as well as in the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII victory.
The Buffalo Bills jersey worn by the NFL’s all-time sack leader DE Bruce Smith during the 1990 season when he was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
The football caught by Seattle Seahawks WR Steve Largent for his then-record 100th career touchdown on Dec. 10, 1989.
The final uniform worn by Washington Redskins QB Sammy Baugh, a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.